Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Reciprocal Empathy: Reversing Antipathy Towards Immigrants In Emotion And Votes, Amanda Gach

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The topic of immigration politics has gained traction in recent years as surges of immigrants are introduced to new homes—often with a long road of integration into the host country ahead. As a result, debates emerged on how to effectively “humanize” members of these outgroups – which include immigrants and refugees alike—while also being able to forge lasting cooperation between these ethnic groups allowing for peaceful integration. Previous attempts to achieve this goal have used various forms of visual and sensory media to generate empathy towards these outgroup members. These approaches have proven to be ineffective when not met with …

Asian Values And Democratic Viability: A Study Of The Effects Of Political Values On Thai Support For Democracy, Marisa Gonzalez-Mabbutt

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Despite research found in the World Values Survey which indicates high global support for democracy, certain regions of the world have struggled to solidify or even introduce democratic institutions. Existing explanations such as the Asian Values Theory show mixed results that political culture in Asian countries decreases support for democracy. These studies also fail to look at country-specific political cultures within countries like Thailand, where national values play a distinct role in the political arena and could affect democratic support. Moreover, previous research has not disaggregated how competing values at the national, regional, and global levels can affect support for …

A Study Of Fremont Snake Valley Black-On-Gray Ceramics From Sites In Northern Utah And The Parowan Valley, Stephanie K.Y. Abo

Theses and Dissertations

Archaeologists widely argue that Fremont potters from the Parowan Valley, in southwestern Utah, manufactured Snake Valley pottery. For my thesis, I examined Snake Valley Black-on-gray rim sherds using neutron activation analysis, oxidation analysis, metric data, and statistical methods. I compared my results on Snake Valley Black-on-gray sherds from three archaeological sites within the Parowan Valley (Paragonah, Parowan, and Evans Mound) to my results on Snake Valley Black-on-gray sherds recovered from three archaeological sites over 250 kilometers to the north (South Temple, Block 49, and Wolf Village). I argue that the Snake Valley Black-on-gray ceramics from the northern sites are tradewares …

Examining Psychotherapeutic Treatment Approach Preference In A Hispanic Population, Andrea Mayra Vieira Debarros

Theses and Dissertations

Minority groups are at a disadvantage when seeking psychological treatment. Interventions are often less effective for minority populations when treatment outcomes are compared to Anglo populations. Studies indicate that the stigma associated with mental health disorders and seeking psychological intervention within these minority subgroups may be at fault for this disparity. In this study, we explored this idea by examining what methods of intervention Hispanic-identified individuals are more likely to seek out. Participants were given the option to enlist in a biofeedback approach to intervention as well as a supportive talk psychotherapy. Participants were drawn from the community population in …

Identifying, Increasing Awareness, And Supporting Military-Connected Adolescents In Public Schools, Amanda Bushman

Theses and Dissertations

Of the nearly 1,000,000 children of active duty members of the military, around 80% attend civilian schools not affiliated with the Department of Defense Education Activity ([DoDEA] DoDEA, 2018; Department of Defense [DoD], 2018). This creates a need for schools to be aware of the challenges that military-connected (MC) students face and understand how best to support them. Recent research indicates that the prevalence of mental health problems in MC youth populations has been rising since the war on terrorism began (De Pedro et al., 2011). MC youth experience an array of internalizing and externalizing problems, including stress disorders (Gorman …

Gabriele D’Annunzio And The Regency Of Carnaro, Patrick Merkle

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Italian novelist and poet Gabriele D’Annunzio, through skillful rhetoric and daring leadership, inspired Italian nationalists to seize the port of Fiume on the Dalmatian coast of the Adriatic Sea. His rule over the people of Fiume through his gifted oratory and forced citizen participation in government ceremonies had a mass appeal; attracted to such a prospect of widespread popularity, Benito Mussolini, and subsequently Adolf Hitler, adopted D’Annunzio’s theatrics within their respective fascist parties. Despite obvious similarities between Italian Fascism, German Nazism, and D’Annunzio’s authoritarianism, D’Annunzio was not a proto-fascist, as the few scholarly works on D’Annunzio tend to assert. This …

Predictors Of Paternal Postpartum Depression: A Meta-Analysis, Zachary Joseph Blackhurst

Theses and Dissertations

While major depression is a well-defined mental health condition, it's presentation can be vastly different across individuals and groups, and many factors impact one's vulnerability. A critical period of vulnerability to depression is the postpartum period. Despite the frequent assumption that postpartum conditions solely affect women, prevalence estimates of paternal postpartum depression (PPPD) are comparable with those of women. Similar to mothers, men experience significant biological and psychosocial changes following the birth of a child that contribute to the onset of postpartum depression. A growing body of research has identified many potential variables related to PPPD, yet there is no …

The Association Of Sleep Quality And Loneliness With Perceived Physical And Mental Health Status In Autistic Adults, Nicholas Charles Clark Russell

Theses and Dissertations

Autistic individuals report a greater prevalence of physical and mental health difficulties, compared to the general population. This study examines factors which impact physical and mental health in the general population to evaluate whether they potentially underlie this increased prevalence in autistic individuals. We compared twenty-two autistic adults, twenty-three adults reporting symptoms of insomnia, and twenty-one neurotypical adults. The primary factors were sleep quality and insomnia; secondary factors were level of autistic traits, alexithymia, and prosocial behavior. Participants completed self-report measures looking at each of these factors as well as their perceived physical and mental health. Participants also wore an …

Executive Function, Eating, And Exercise Duration In Adolescents, Robyn C. Blackburn

Theses and Dissertations

Adolescence is an important developmental period for executive function as well as establishing lifelong health habits like diet and exercise. However, connections between exercise, executive function and dietary behaviors have not yet been adequately studied in adolescents, especially in terms of exercise duration. This research seeks to establish how 30 versus 60 minutes of exercise affects the association between executive function, calorie consumption and food-specific inhibition. The current research uses a within-participant design and linear mixed modeling to test the impact of exercise bout duration and executive function on calorie consumption and food-specific inhibition (food Go/No-Go accuracy and reaction time). …

Parent Perspectives On Accessing Resources For Children With Developmental Delays And Their Younger Siblings, Claire Chelladurai

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The benefits of early intervention for children with developmental delays is widely documented in the current literature (Goode et al., 2011; Koegel et al., 2014; Roberts & Kaiser, 2015; Smith et al., 2000). There is, however, a lack of research on what parents experience when accessing resources for their child with a developmental delay and younger siblings who may be at risk for a developmental delay. Through face to face qualitative interviews, the current study examined parent awareness of and experience accessing desired resources for children with developmental delays and their younger siblings. Through thematic analysis, four themes emerged: (a) …

A Comparison Of The Economic And Cultural Development Of Japan And Thailand Through The Human Development And World Happiness Indices, Tanner Money

Undergraduate Honors Theses

The purpose of this thesis is to make human development and happiness comparisons between two countries that are found in the same region of the world and share similar cultural and historical backgrounds. For this study, the human development measures for Japan and Thailand are compared based on Life Expectancy, Literacy Rates, and Gross Domestic Product (per capita) measures. First, the historical development of Japan and Thailand is presented, highlighting the key historical economic and political moments in each country that has led them to their present state of development. Second, the two countries were compared using quantitative and qualitative …

Survivors Of Human Trafficking: A Review Of Current Mental Health Practices And Recommendations For Improvement, Caleb Andreason

Undergraduate Honors Theses

Human trafficking is a global issue that is increasing in prevalence. For survivors and those exploited by human trafficking, the psychological, developmental, and physical health consequences of human trafficking are complex and often debilitating. Unfortunately, there continues to be a lack of attention regarding these issues in the professional psychology literature. A qualitative study was conducted that included nine semi-structured interviews of professionals working with survivors of human trafficking. The data were analyzed and themes were derived using content analysis. The results showed the need for long-term comprehensive care, but many principles found in the research literature have not yet …

Differences In Immigrant Education By Destination Country: An Analysis Of Turkish Immigrants' Perception Of And Performance In Math And Science, Lisa Turley Smith

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis examines how the country to which Turkish immigrant students immigrate affects their educational outcomes – specifically, math and science test scores and four constructed variables that measure how much students enjoy math and science and their self-rated confidence in the subjects. I use data from the 2003, 2006, 2012, and 2015 Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) exams. I examine Turkish immigrant students living in Austria, Belgium, Switzerland, Germany and Denmark.

My findings are consistent with prior research showing that immigrant student test scores vary by destination country. I also find that Turkish immigrant students’ perceptions of math …

The Effects Of Alcohol On Bdnf And Cd5 Dependent Pathways, Andrew Jordan Payne

Theses and Dissertations

Alcohol represents the third leading cause of preventable death in the United States. Yet, despite its prevalent role in impeding human health, there is much to understand about how it elicits its effects on the body and how the body and brain change when an individual becomes physiologically dependent upon alcohol. The work presented herein represents an effort to elucidate the acute and chronic effects of alcohol on the nervous system. We investigate two specific protein pathways and their role in alcohol's effects on the body. The first begins with brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which acts on TrkB, and ends …

An Analysis Of Intercultural Research From 2000-2019., Isabelle Kramer

Undergraduate Honors Theses

In the last twenty years, advancements in information and communications technologies have fundamentally altered the face of intercultural communication (Shuter, 2011). While there is significant research regarding the impact of new media on intercultural communication, there is no published research that discusses the ways in which intercultural scholarship in the academic context has adapted to the evolving social media landscape. I will be conducting a content analysis on all intercultural articles published on the EBSCO database “Communication and Mass Media Complete” between January 2000 and January 2019. This research will illuminate trends in intercultural communications studies over the past twenty …

Alcohol Affects The Reward Pathway Of The Brain Via A6-Containing Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors In The Nucleus Accumbens, Elizabeth Qiufeng Anderson

Theses and Dissertations

The prevailing view is that enhancement of dopamine (DA) transmission in the mesolimbic system consisting of DA neurons in the ventral tegmental area (VTA) that project to the nucleus accumbens (NAc) underlies the rewarding properties of ethanol (EtOH) and nicotine (NIC). Although the dogma is that EtOH enhancement of DA neural activity contributes to enhancement of DA transmission, DA neurons are not sensitive to rewarding levels of EtOH. However, VTA GABA neurons are sensitive to low-dose EtOH. We have shown previously that EtOH modulation of DA release in the NAc is mediated by α6-containing nicotinic receptors (α6*-nAChRs), that α6*-nAChRs mediate …

Do Patterns Of Distress Vary In First-Generation College Students Seeking Psychotherapy?, Candice Gonsalves

Theses and Dissertations

In this study, we examined distress levels of first-generation college students at intake from an average of 137 university and college counseling centers that participated in data collection with the Center for Collegiate Mental Health (CCMH) between the 2012-2015 academic school years. We gathered descriptive data from the CCMH Standardized Data Set (SDS), and then examined itemized responses from the Counseling Center Assessment of Psychological Symptoms 62 (CCAPS-62). Students completed the SDS and CCAPS-62 at intake, and both measures rely on self-report. We divided student data (N = 184,334) into groups based on educational status: first-generation (FG) or non-first generation …

Sexual Assault And Online Help Seeking: An Analysis Of Survivor Disclosure And Questions After Assault, Abby Luthi Sagers

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual assault is a pandemic issue that affects millions worldwide. In the U.S. it is estimated that one in five women and one in 38 men will be victims of rape or attempted rape at some point in their lifetime (Smith et al., 2018). Sexual assault has several significant long-term effects, including negatively impacting survivors’ psychological, emotional, physical, and interpersonal well-being. After a trauma from sexual victimization, survivors face the difficult process of making sense out of what happened, what to do about it, and whether to disclose the experience to others. Reporting, whether formally or informally, can be extremely …

Logics Of Collaboration: An Ethnography Of Codesign In The Brazilian Amazon, Jacob Hartt Wixom

Theses and Dissertations

Engineers working internationally are increasingly concerned with the social impacts of their work. New frontiers in design show promise in helping practitioners address these concerns. One of these is codesign, a practice of making stakeholders co-decision-makers in the design process. Codesign has the potential to greatly improve the social sustainability of engineered products, but some concerns remain surrounding codesign’s practicability in engineering. I explore three such concerns: that conflicting institutional logics may undermine codesign’s collaborative aspirations, that codesign can perpetuate developmental idealism, and that codesign may insufficiently account for the needs and perspectives of marginalized populations. Through more than a …

A Content Analysis Of Sexuality-Related Scholarship For Sexual Minorities, Chelise Fox

Theses and Dissertations

Sexual minority individuals face disparities of treatment from clinical and medical health professionals. In particular, there is a dearth of research and training surrounding human sexuality topics for sexual minorities. Research on sexual minority groups in this area can contribute to reducing treatment disparities. Consequently, the proposed study is a content analysis of social science literature in order to gauge trends in the amount of research focused on the intersection of sexual minorities and sex research. Articles from a database search of relevant keywords were coded for several variables, including overall level of focus on sexual minorities and on human …

Understanding Relapse In Self-Perceived Problematic Pornography Users, Erin L. Rackham

Theses and Dissertations

This study explored reasons for relapse among a sample of 938 self-identified problematic pornography users. A combination of numeric content analysis and qualitative coding of responses to an open-ended question about pornography relapse revealed six main categories of reasons for relapse. The mental, emotional, and relational categories were then analyzed in detail, and this analysis revealed significant overlap of responses from the emotional and relational categories. Hence, a new category of relational-emotional reasons for relapse was created and analyzed. The findings from this study highlight the complex interactions of different types of factors driving relapse in self-perceived problematic pornography users …

Aerobic Exercise Alters Opioid Receptors Following Chronic Alcohol Exposure, James N. Brundage

Theses and Dissertations

Opioid receptors have been a target of pharmacological manipulation in alcohol use disorder (AUD) recovery protocols for many years. Aerobic exercise, a common adjunct in AUD recovery, is known to modulate opioid receptors (ORs) both during both acute and long term exposure. The three subtypes of ORs: mu (MOR), delta (DOR), and kappa (KOR) are all expressed on neurons in the mesocorticolimbic circuitry. Kappa-opioid receptors are expressed directly on dopamine (DA) neuron terminals in the nucleus accumbens (NAc). Mu and Delta ORs are expressed on cholinergic interneurons (CINs) and GABA neurons in the NAc. In alcohol dependent rodents, KORs are …

Utility Of High-Definition Fiber Tractography And Eye-Tracking For Measuring Outcome In Chronic Mild Traumatic Brain Injury, Hannah M. Lindsey

Theses and Dissertations

A complete understanding of the functional and structural impairments driving persistent post-concussive symptom (PCS) expression in approximately one-third of those who suffer from mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI) is essential for the development of effective treatment strategies and improving quality of life. While traditional outcome measures, such as neuropsychological testing and structural magnetic resonance imaging, are sensitive to the severe functional impairments and widespread tissue damage frequently seen after moderate-to-severe injuries, more advanced measures that are sensitive to the subtle changes in cognitive function and tissue microstructure that may underlie persistent PCS are necessary for the assessment of recovery from …

Does Immigration Help To Explain Child Stress?, Elizabeth Marie Koch Sigler

Theses and Dissertations

The impacts of childhood stressors are harmful to the emotional and physical well-being of children of all ages. Past research has suggested that children experience increased stress due to change. One subgroup of the United States population that experiences change, is immigrants. Research provides empirical evidence of adolescent immigrant stress but has failed to examine stress experienced by immigrant children at a young age. The present study investigates how immigration status and child immigration generation might impact child stress at a young age using OLS regression. I predict that immigrant children will experience more stress than non-immigrant children and that …

Heterogenity In Brain Injury: An Investigation Of The Efficacy Of Qualitative Comparative Analysis In Diffusion Tensor Imaging, Cooper Benton Hodges

Theses and Dissertations

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) and its associated neural and cognitive sequelae are of increasing interest in military populations. Blast-related TBI is becoming more commonplace in military Service Members and Veterans since Operation Iraqi Freedom/Operation Enduring Freedom/Operation New Dawn and their following conflicts. It is currently unclear whether blast-related injuries cause unique neural and cognitive deficits. The present investigation, in Study 1, aims to investigate the differences in blast-related and non-blast related TBI using traditional statistical techniques. In Study 2, this study will demonstrate the use of Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA) in diffusion tensor imaging data. QCA is a relatively new …

Representation Of U.S. Minority Groups In The Marriage And Family Therapy Literature Over An 18-Year Period: A Content Analysis, Kensington Osmond

Theses and Dissertations

Research relevant to the unique needs and experiences of racial/ethnic/cultural (REC) minority groups in social science literature is essential to the work of policymakers and clinical practitioners. However, the social sciences have traditionally failed to publish a sufficient number of articles that address these needs and experiences or even adequately report the racial and ethnic makeup of their samples. The purpose of this study is to provide an updated look at Marriage and Family Therapy (MFT) literature and how often sample participants’ ethnicity is reported, how frequently studies focus on ethnic issues or specific REC minority groups, which REC minority …

A Fmri Of Fear Conditioning And Auditory Looming In Autism Spectrum Disorder, David Nicholas Top Jr.

Theses and Dissertations

Many autistic adults experience debilitating anxiety that interferes with their daily functioning. Atypical sensory processing and intolerance of uncertainty are cognitive processes linked to atypical limbic system functioning and impaired fear conditioning as potential mediators of anxiety in autism. A previous fear conditioning study using fMRI found atypical amygdala functioning in autism when the threat stimulus was only partially reinforced. The first aim of this dissertation is a multimethod examination of brain and psychophysiological response in autistic and in neurotypical adults during a fear conditioning/extinction task with the threat stimulus reinforced 100% percent of the time. We were also interested …

Childhood Trauma And Attachment Theory: Estimating A Growth Curve Relationship Between Adverse Childhood Experiences And The Therapeutic Alliance, Connor C. Barham

Theses and Dissertations

The therapeutic alliance is a core element of successful treatment in therapy. Recent literature has explored variables that predict the alliance at various time points during therapy, but few studies have explored how the alliance develops over time and the factors that influence its rate of change. The current study addresses these questions by estimating latent growth-curve models to analyze how male and female partners' alliance scores develop over time and how adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact the development of the alliance during the first six sessions of therapy. Results from these analyses show that neither men nor women's ACEs …

Domestic Bliss, Or Technological Diss? Problematic Media Use, Attachment, And Relationship Outcomes, Mccall A. Booth

Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to examine how problematic media use (technoference, internet gaming disorder symptoms, and pornography use) predicted later partner relationship outcomes, operating through the mediator of attachment behaviors. Participants (N = 1039) were from Waves II–IV of the Couple Relationships and Transition Experiences (CREATE) study, a nationally representative quantitative study on marriage relationships across the United States. Both spouses completed surveys reporting problematic media use, attachment behaviors, and relationship outcomes at three separate time points each spaced a year apart. In order to test the hypotheses, three longitudinal actor-partner interdependence models with indirect paths were estimated, …

At Ages 1-2, Will Tv Impact If I Help You? Prosocial Media, Joint Media Engagement, And Infant Prosocial Development During The Second Year, Sara Catherine Brown

Theses and Dissertations

Prosocial behavior typically emerges during an infant's second year. Because it is posited to be continuous from infancy to adulthood, and past research has identified numerous positive outcomes associated with prosocial behavior, it is important to understand the mechanisms involved in early prosocial behavior, such as prosocial media. Past research has examined the relation between prosocial media and prosocial behavior in preschool children, but no studies have explored this association with infants. The current study includes 60 infants and their primary caregivers. Data about media use, parent-infant media interactions, and infant prosocial helping was collected through survey and observational measures. …